Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1887-12-23

sorts, make the most of the joyous and glad
some day so near at hand Why not follow
the mali to the manger where once lay the
Babe born TO be the King, and with the
shepherds, listen to the song whose tones
are sounding yet; "Glory to God in the
highest, on earth peace, and good will to-
wards men,"
Yes, Christmas is near at hand. In few
hours will commence the glad peals from
church and campanile-the deep monthed
cangor and the sweet, clear chimes ring
ing out on the cold midnight air. From the
lofty cathedral that lifts its cold gray tower
TO the music of the storms from the artistic
and ivy-mantled church, with its frescoed
ceilings, where rare and costly exotics
mingle with rarer flowers, the holly, the
laurel, the box, the cedar and flood of light
falls on fair faces and brilliant jewels; from
the humble chapel where the outcast, the
orphan child, the furnishing widow, the be-
trayed, degraded and defaced women go to
pray, shall swell the solemn mass and the
song of praise. In hall and cot shall be
happiness and love. How the outlines of
the old dining room will assume their long
forgotten familiarity under the light of the
blazing hearthstone and the peals of laugh
ter. How the bosom of the aged and tremu-
lous occupant of the old arm chair will swell
with emotion and the tears of affection steal
down his furrowed cheeks as he listens TO
the silver bells wringing with joy in each
little innocent heart. How every eye, now
and then will turn 10 the seat where the
mother sat Of winter evenings plying her
needlc--to where the old house dog laid ia
his place in the corner at full la9gfa. apd
whefe'ihe cat nestled lovingly between 4 Is
feet. How when the
"Day is gone and the darkness
Falls from the wings of night"
will come back to us the hours when the
winter wind went glancing over the house
top, whirling and eddying and moaning
around the corners, Kissing under the door
and sending its cold breath in every crevice;
and how the windows ratified when the
blast came fercest, and how the smoke
would sometimes whirl down the great
chimney-so'o the young and the old soiH re-
joice in this festaI day Of ChrSstendom'
Christmas has another significance other
than that of which we have written. 1t is
a season for the exhibition of the more gen.
erous influences Of our hearts, for the dis
tribution of those silent charities which fall
like the dews of heaven upon the cold and
hungered around colder bearthstone, for
remember, ito whom much is given, of them
much will be required" 1t is a period
when unpleasant thoughts and bitter pas
sions should be buried and the very atmos-
phere be made redolent with joy.
To its patrons and friends, to the masters
and mistresses and to the "litte ones" of
every household, the SENTINEL hastens to
extend to each and to all "a merry Christ
mas" May the music of innocent joys fall
sweetly on every listening heart and their
melody ever awaken pleasant recollections
through life. To those who are entering
into the "sear and yellow leaf" and those
who are bending beneath the weight of the
golden fruitage," may its return come as
an old playmate, the remembrance of these
sweeter joys of unbroken youth, and its
sunlight awaken forgotten dreams of love
and hope-that love and hope which causes
us to look beyond the dark winter of death
into the fields of everlasting beauty-may
new light come with the joyous season.
roupd each Christmas hearth, in each face
and in every heart-the light of love that
is never brighter, clearer or deeper than
when one friend greets another with the
sweet old words that are never old-G,joyous
ThristgDns